Miracles You Can't See

Sometimes our vision gets better when we close our eyes.

It's a blazing night in August. You grab a PowerAde and sneak in a serene midnight repose on the porch swing. The faintest tinge of a breeze wafts at your sweltering brow. It is a few minutes before midnight.

Suddenly, a bluster of blinding light douses the darkened sky. The breeze is abruptly transformed into a ferocious gust that lifts you inches off your seat. Fear abounds, but strangely, it is accompanied by a remarkable tranquility that confuses and calms you at the same time.

In a flash you find yourself in a scene from a sci-fi movie as a spacecraft, the size of two football fields, lands before you. A short ladder descends and a creature of sorts makes his way out of the vessel and walks towards you. You are too dazed to move.

"I am Kriz from the planet Magxac," he says. "I come in peace, just to explore your land. Can you show me around?"

He invites you into his Trans-orbitor and instructs you to push a button and choose any location on Earth in any time period.

"It is a combination of your GPS/Time machine/Super-sonic jet. It can take you anywhere in just seconds. Try it," he cajoles.

After taking a few minutes to allow the shock to wear off, you decide to show off some of Earth's wonders. You set the dial for 1476 BCE and you are whisked off to the shores of the Red Sea. Three million Jews are waiting in angst as Egyptian chariots rumble in the distance.

"Watch this," you whisper to the alien.

The mighty waters part and the dry path is quickly filled by ecstatic Jews.

Kriz is not impressed.

"Big deal," he says. "Happens every day on Magxac."

Undaunted, you set the dial ahead a few months and together witness manna descending from the heavens in the desert. Same ho-hum reaction.

Frustrated and disappointed, you head back to the present and emerge from the craft with your newfound friend. It is 7 A.M.

"Whoa! What is that?!?!" cries Kriz, pointing to the sky.

"What is what?" you reply innocently.

"THAT! That giant orange orb that is blinding me!"

"You mean the sun? Haven't you ever seen the sun?"

"On Magxac, it is always dark. This sun of yours looks awfully close. How far away is it?"

"Actually, it is 93 million miles away."

"Incredible! I can't even look at it!"

Do we ever stop to realize that the existence of the sun or its perfect placement is truly miraculous? Had the sun been 92 million miles away we would probably burn to death; 94 million miles away and we would freeze.

Frequency is blinding. We don't appreciate things as miraculous because we are inured by the limitations of our vision.

The only reason we don't immediately think of the sun as a miracle is because it is always there – rising and setting and shining exactly the way we expect it to. But frequency is blinding. The sun, like so many things in life, is genuinely miraculous. We don't appreciate things as miraculous because we are inured by the forces of habit and the limitations of our vision.

In Ethics of Our Fathers, our Sages teach that ten miracles occurred in the Temple. No sacrificial meat ever became putrid, no fly was ever seen (for hundreds of years) in the butchering stations, the rains never extinguished the pyre on the Altar plus seven others. The laws of Nature were transcended in the Temple.

But there is something strange about this list of ten. Each miracle mentioned relates something that did NOT happen. Our customary dictionary definition of what is a miracle is quite different:

An amazing or wonderful occurrence

A marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of God

But what about things that don't happen? Can they also be considered miraculous?

Example: Of all the hundreds, if not thousands, of blessings that Jews recite, there is only one that mentions "God's Heavenly Throne." That, believe it or not, is the blessing that we say several times a day after exiting from the bathroom:

Blessed are You, HaShem, Our God, King of the universe, Who created the human with wisdom and created within him many openings and many cavities, exposed and known before Your Throne of Glory, that if one of them were to be ruptured or one of them were to be blocked it would be impossible to survive and to stand before You for even one hour. Blessed are You, HaShem, The physician of all flesh who acts wondrously.

Essentially we are marveling at the wonder of how the many openings and cavities in our bodies are NOT blocked or ruptured – allowing us to function and exist. What does NOT happen is miraculous, and we must see it as such.

Similarly, when we sit in a doctor's waiting room and fill out forms describing our medical history, we should count every 'check' in the 'no' box as a miracle of something that did not happen – and there are hundreds of them.

Americans are loathe to speak about it (bad karma?), but who would have predicted in 2001, after 9/11, that no major terror attack would take place on US soil in seven years? Is that not miraculous?

And what about our precious little children? Any mother will tell you that it is inexplicable that toddlers don't choke on things every single day – marbles, popcorn, pennies, watch batteries – while crawling around the house. Stairwells are too often left unblocked, yet these tiny treasures seem to live with a special protection from Above.

Safe sky travel is considered a given. While we all deplore the ever-growing incidence of departure and arrival delays, we forget how astounding the safety statistics are. Get this. The total number of flights scheduled to operate worldwide this month is 2.55 million. 307,000,000 seats will be offered to travelers around the globe! Only a tiny percentage of those passengers will experience a mishap of any kind. Incredible.

MIRACLES IN ISRAEL

No one doubts that the establishment of the State of Israel, after Hitler's decimation of European Jewry, was an open miracle. Scattered around the world, hated everywhere they lived, persecuted in the north and the south, the east and the west, Jews survived and even thrived. But sometimes we forget that every day that Israel doesn't implode – surrounded by its sworn enemies, many times its' size – is a miracle we should never take for granted.

And most astonishingly is the following framework for something we have all become intuitively aware.

Do we realize the magnitude of the miracle we recently experienced in Gaza?

The world is now far too well acquainted with the fright and terror experienced by the Jews who live within striking distance of our enemies in Gaza. The panic and hysteria that occurs when a siren goes off and a missile is imminent has been depicted in a frightening film on this website and has been viewed over a million times.

As painful as each and every casualty is, thank God, the losses have been comparatively minimal. But do we realize the magnitude of the miracle before our eyes?

Harold Gans is a mathematical consultant and international lecturer throughout North America, Israel, Australia and South Africa. He was a Senior Cryptologic Mathematician with the National Security Agency, United States Department of Defense until his retirement after 28 years of service. He recently reported the following:

On Jan. 5, 2009, Ehud Barak, Defense Minister of Israel, announced that 125 Grad-Katyusha missiles had fallen on populated areas of Beersheva, Ashkelon and Ashdod. This is 40% of the missiles fired; the remaining 60% fell in open areas. Of the 40% that hit populated areas of these cities, 2% hit buildings. I obtained satellite photos of Beersheva, Ashkelon and Ashdod. My analysis indicated that the average percentage of the ground covered by buildings in these three cities is 39.7%. This takes into account the different sizes of these cities.

Now, the expected rate of rockets hitting buildings should be the same as the percentage of the ground covered by buildings: 39.7%. Yet it is only 2%. The odds of this happening by chance are 100,000,000,000,000,000: 1.

Note that this has nothing to do with the bad aim of these missiles; we are only counting the 40% that actually did fall in populated areas of these cities.

God has given us a universe that is saturated with wonder and amazement. When we tune in to the marvels that surround us we can feel His presence and experience unparalleled joy. But there's a whole class of miracles that is easy to miss – the "non-events" of life. In some ways, they can be even more providential than the obvious ones.

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Rabbi Yaakov Salomon, C.S.W. is a noted psychotherapist, in private practice in Brooklyn, N.Y. for over 25 years. He is a Senior Lecturer and the Creative Director of Aish Hatorah's Discovery Productions. He is also an editor and author for the Artscroll Publishing Series and a member of the Kollel of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath.

In these marvelous stories -- brimming with wit, understanding, a touch of irony and a large helping of authentic Torah perspective -- we will walk with a renowned and experienced psychotherapist and popular author through the pathways of contemporary life: its crowded sidewalks, its pedestrian malls, and the occasional dead end street. This is a walk through our lives that will be fun, entertaining -- and eye-opening. In our full -- sometimes overfull -- and complex lives, Yaakov Salomon is a welcome and much-needed voice of sanity and reason.

His speaking, writing and musical talents have delighted audiences from Harvard to Broadway and everything in between. Rabbi Salomon shares his life with his wife, Temmy, and their unpredictable family.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 27

(27)
MABSH"Y,
August 5, 2013 4:42 PM

strive for accuracy

You state "Had the sun been 92 million miles away we would probably burn to death; 94 million miles away and we would freeze." But in fact, the sun is each of those distances away each and every year. The sun's orbit is elliptical, going from about 91.4 million miles away in January to 94.5 million miles away in July. And the actual range of habitable orbits is even larger (see "circumstellar habitable zone") While this can still be considered miraculous, efforts at kiruv towards those of scientific bent is not served by inaccuracy and making things seem even more more remarkable than they are. They will accuse you of fudging. Re'eh's "lo tosef v'lo tigrah" should be observed no less here than in halacha

(26)
anon,
July 29, 2013 9:28 PM

Amazing

An opportunity to salute Rabbi Salomon and Mr Gans for this and all their fantastic efforts! ; [but, I'd love to see Brendan McKay (if i got the name right, and if he's still around?) add his "haskama" on this one). [won't hold my breath]

(25)
Harold Gans,
February 17, 2009 6:05 AM

Response to comments

I appreciate the fact that people have done the math and come up with similar results. I would point out however that some have missed a critical point. There were 125 missiles THAT LANDED IN POPULATED AREAS of these cities. This was only 40% of those fired. Thus, bad aim and weather conditions are totally irrelevant. We are concerned only with those missiles that succeeded, somehow, in landing in a populated area.
Now for the math. I took a shortcut and used the normal distribution. The sample size = N = 125. The observed number of hits = n = 3, (since it has to be an integer). The probability of a hit (once the missile succeeds in landing in a poplulated area) = p = 0.397. The variance = Np(1-p) > 9 so the normal distribution applies. The sigmage, or number of standard deviations from the mean is (n-Np)/sqrt(Np(1-p)) = -8.523. The two sided right tail probability is thus 7.7736E-18.
One more thing: I am not "Dr.", just "Mr.".

(24)
Joe,
February 10, 2009 1:24 PM

I did the math

In response to Dan,
This really is a miracle. I just did the math.
For the sake of simplicity, let's say it was 100 rockets. I responded earlier that I would need the number of rockets to do the calculation. I missed that the article said it was 125.
Let's say it was 100 though for simplicity. Let's also say it was (0.4) instead of (0.397) for chance of a hit.
You have 100 "trials with a 0.4 chance of success and a 0.6 chance of failure. We find the 2% of the trials, or 2 of the rockets "win."
that means that there are 100 choose two cases outcomes total. Of those arrangements you had (0.4)^2 odds of "winning" and (0.6)^98 odds of "loosing" for each of the 100 choose 2 cases.
So the probability of this happening is
{100 ,2} * (0.4)^2 * (0.6)^ 98.
{100,2} is the best I can manage for notation here for 100 choose 2.
Calculate that and you get 2X10^-19.
I believe the numbers given by Dr. Gans.
Now to be certain, this calculation assumes that the rockets have equal probability of landing *anywhere* withing city limits (which we can not assume) and it does not take into account any number of confounding factors like weather conditions, fear of getting clipped by the IDF, when you launch or set up your rocket (so you do it quickly) and variable propellent quality in the rockets - to name a few.
We really need to no the statistical center of the distribution of hits in the cities and see how many standard devs out, the city limits are from that center.
None the less,
I have often been a skeptic of statistical arguments for Divine agency, but this one is certainly a bit compelling to me.

(23)
Joe,
February 10, 2009 11:36 AM

Statistics in reply to Dan

First off, thank Hashem that so few people in Israel have been hurt. It is not fo lack of trying on the part of our foes. It is miraculous and wonderful.
In reply to Dan, I'm a physicist and I also wondered when I saw the statistics. I am not going to say that Dr. Gans did his mathematics incorrectly. However, I will say that this article did not report enough data to repeat the calculation.
It is certainly very easily possible to quickly - and accurately calculate astronomical odds. For instance, the probability, in a coin flip trial of getting n heads in a row is 1/2^n. So what is the probability of getting 100 heads in a row? Answer, 1/2^100, which is easily calculated and much smaller than what we was reported here.
The smallness of the odds reported is not in of itself cause to assume the calculation was incorrect.
That said, I too would be interested in enough data to do the calculation myself. I do not see how that is possible without knowing the number of rockets fired. The way to phrase the question statistically is, what is the probability that n rockets fired with a 39.7% chance of hitting only hit 2% of the time. I suspect that since we are talking thousands of rockets that the number is indeed very small.

(22)
webster marlowe,
February 5, 2009 3:34 AM

daily miracles

At age 77 I see financial and medical miracles daily. Why don't I expect them?

(21)
dan,
February 4, 2009 7:17 PM

statistics

I am a scientific researcher and I am wondering how you come up with odds of 10^16 : 1. I think it is impossible to even calculate an event that rare. What statistical methods did you use?

(20)
Anonymous,
February 4, 2009 5:26 PM

Divine Protection

God has made a covenant with the fathers of the Jews Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is a covenant keeping God and he will continue to protect, fight and defent the jewish nation. No surprise to me!

(19)
Matt,
February 4, 2009 9:39 AM

Wonderful

Such a valuable perspective and a necessary reminder. Thank you Rabbi. When a person wakes up, has food to eat and clothes to wear, arrives safely at work, and has a productive day, s/he rarely asks "Why me, G-d?". It's only when things don't go as we seem to think they should that we turn to Hashem and ask "Why did this have to happen to me?" We ought to realize all of the daily miracles in what does and does not happen.

(18)
Anonymous,
February 3, 2009 9:05 PM

THANK YOU FOR OPENING MY EYES TO HASHEM'S PROTECTION

(17)
Anonymous,
February 3, 2009 8:21 PM

Wonderful Insight

Thank you for making me see the miracles that Hashem has given to us each and everyday. He is so good to us, and I thank him each and everyday.

(16)
Asher,
February 3, 2009 1:09 PM

A brilliant way to look at things

Dear Rabbi Solomon,
You have done it again with the brilliant way to bring out the reality of the way we should be thinking of how much we should appreciate life and how the one above is really watching. I know we grow up being told that there are malochim (angels) watching over us but Hashem is totally in control. Harold Gans may be can show the mathematics on paper how it is just unbelievable that so little damage if any after so many attacks by the missiles flying in from Gaza but after seeing Aish show the codes from the Torah can we even think of not believing in miracles. Thank you for bringing to our attention that to be an Aethiest makes absolutely no sense whatsoever even though you have shown that there are over 50 million in the world, I just wonder how they live not realizing that the breath they take every minute of every day is from the one above.
Asher

(15)
Anonymous,
February 3, 2009 4:23 AM

uplifting realignment of thought

Thanks for this wonderful realignment of thought in this overwhelmingly negative world. Bill

(14)
Orrin Kom,
February 2, 2009 2:10 PM

I Don't Understand It

But I sure am grateful. Grateful to you too, for publicizing this miracle of something NOT happening.

(13)
Sara Yoheved Rigler,
February 2, 2009 2:03 PM

Great article

Thank you for pointing out the miracles of what doesn't happen--a truly novel concept! The article is brilliant and inspiring, especially the quote from H. Gans.

(12)
Selah Sante,
February 2, 2009 1:56 PM

inspirational

Dear Rabbi:
Your article hit home bass with me, I've been lost in the FOG of life and am missing the insights and beauty you have so clearly stated. Blessings, Selah

(11)
Evelyn Demanuele,
February 2, 2009 8:35 AM

Very well said!!

This was a very great piece of literature to read and very well said!!

(10)
don bowles,
February 2, 2009 6:14 AM

Re: Thanks for your article

Dear Rabbi, thank you for your insight. I am not a Jew,but, a Christian who has loved Israel and the Jewish friends I have known.I read the aish web page and have subscribed to it.
The reality of the miracle of how Israel is the fulfillment of prophecy can only be the providence and reality of God's hand being upon the Jewish nation. I will continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Israel will never cease to exist as a nation again. God will not permit it.

(9)
Beverly Kurtin,
February 1, 2009 11:25 PM

NEVER AGAIN

Rabbi, of all of the miracles I know of is the fact that we know who our ancestors are. We intone their names thrice a day. A new international wave of Jew-hate is upon us. In Venezuela the old epithets are once again echoing in the streets of that haven for Nazis and Arab sympathizers.
There is going to be a new miracle: If any Jew-hater thinks that we will once again go quietly they are going to find themselves staring into gun barrels. I’m taking lessons and am going to qualify for a “carry” license. When someone sees my driver’s license, it will show that I am carrying a weapon.
I know that most Israelis have been trained in weapon use, the rest of the world’s Jews need to learn how to use weapons and get licensed to use them. If Messiah continues to tarry, we are going to see another world-wide attempt to bring about a new Holocaust. We must meet any oppressor with lethal force. Putting it another way: NEVER AGAIN!

(8)
ruth housman,
February 1, 2009 6:56 PM

life itself, the miracle

thank you for a truly lovely piece, about what we don't see, that the miracle is here constantly for us all. I was so aware of life, when one day I rescued a little budgie on the street. We were on our way to a ball game but stopped to get this bird a little cage and some food and water. He/she was so sweet and I felt such love for the little creature. We had to leave the bird in the car, for the time we were away at the game. I was so beyond upset to find the bird dead on arrival. Maybe the bird was already sick. We will never know but we did try. What stays with me is the difference between that lifeless little body and what had animated it, just hours before. The vibrant aliveness, of simply being, is something to cherish and hold onto and it's the ultimate miracle, I mean, being here at all. So yes, hold that wonder close to you, because it's truly, divine.

(7)
Rena,
February 1, 2009 5:46 PM

excellent

I always knew that the number of Israel's casualties versus attacks was an open miracle (throughout all its wars) however I never heard actual percentage numbers - AMAZING - Thank You Hashem! We love You too!!

(6)
sharona,
February 1, 2009 3:58 PM

Thanks for the message. I agree about being aware of both the things that miraculously happen and the things that miraculously don't happen. And we should know that Hashem is there for us, even in the hard times.

(5)
Beverley,
February 1, 2009 2:24 PM

We are let to become conscious of that "obvious" so often taken for granted.Very explicite.

(4)
IB,
February 1, 2009 1:52 PM

That was beautifully inspirational, thank you so much!

(3)
Channie Stein,
February 1, 2009 11:27 AM

This is the power of The Song of the Sea

Shira Smiles' webcast shiur this morning focused specifically on this theme as she discussed The Song of the Sea. Why was this song on the shores of the Red Sea so powerful, more so than any previous songs, and reading it with joy contains mystical powers? The Israelites did not initially sing of those miracles we would recognize as open miracles - the splitting of the sea, the growth of fruits from the walls of water surrounding them. Their first words of awe were in the recognition of the natural as truly miraculous, that a chariot and its rider would drown if they entered a sea. These are the simple laws of physics. They were able to understand that everything in this world, including nature and our own beings, is a manifestation of G-d Himself, that nothing exists outside or beyond Him. They were able to recognize at that moment the oneness of the universe and all history, and were able to sing praises to Hakodosh Boruch Hu even for the suffering in Egypt that made them cry out to God, as this too was a manifestation of His lovingkindness as seen from their current perspective above and beyond the present time.
As the saying goes, "There are none so blind as those who will not see."

(2)
Anonymous,
February 1, 2009 11:20 AM

...and don't forget 1948

And what of Israel's War of Independence? Six hundred thousand poorly equipped Jews victorious over seven hostile armies. That was a true Miracle.
And, Rabbi, thank you for your wonderful insights. We need to be more aware (and thankful for) what has NOT happened......than what has.

(1)
Moshe Rosen,
February 1, 2009 7:46 AM

the intangibles

It's important to acknowledge how much more valuable the intangible aspects are in life than those that are tangible...As for the situation that occured recently in Israel, while there have been fewer casualties of Israelis, how do we know whether the Arab media is telling the truth or conflating when they say that more Palestinians than Israelis suffered casualties? I'm not implying Israel is wrong in any regard, but is were there really more Hamas militants than Palestinian civilians killed, despite the risk of human shields? All in all, it's sad that most of the world takes Israel for granted while ignoring the good and the miracles that occur there. That's how resourceful Israel really is, and when they make any mistakes in military judgment, that doesn't automatically make Hamas and the Palestinians right. They cannot be considered the good guys if they call for the destruction of Israel. Miraculously, there are some Arabs who will change their views about Israel and acknowledge the state by being respectful Israeli-Arab citizens. Is an "Israeli-Arab" not an oxymoron?

I want to know about the concept of "sin" due to Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge. The Christian concept of sin revolves around the fall of the man and the "original sin." Does Judaism view it the same way?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Adam and Eve were punished according to their actions. In other words, God laid down the conditions for Adam and Eve to live in the garden, provided they would not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. However, if they were to eat from that tree they would be punished by experiencing death. (If they had not eaten from the tree, they would have remained immortal.)

This sets down the basic principle in Judaism of Reward and Punishment. Basic to this is that every person has the choice of doing good or bad. When a person chooses "good" – as defined by God – he is able to draw close to God. In other words, every individual has a chance to "gain salvation" through his own actions.

My understanding of Christianity, however, is that the Original Sin has infected all of mankind to the point where individuals are incapable of achieving salvation through their own initiative. Man is "totally depraved" and therefore his only hope of salvation is through the cross.

This belief is contrary to the teachings of Judaism. From the Torah perspective, an individual does not need to rely on anyone else to atone for them. In Judaism, sins can be "erased" altogether by sincere repentance and a firm resolution never to repeat the mistakes.

For more on this, read "Their Hollow Inheritances" by Michael Drazin – www.drazin.com

Yahrtzeit of Moses in 1273 BCE (Jewish year 2488), on the same day of his birth 120 years earlier. (Consequently, "May you live to 120" has become a common Jewish blessing.) Moses was born in Egypt at a time when Pharaoh had decreed that all Jewish baby boys be drowned in the Nile River. His mother set him afloat in a reed basket, where he was -- most ironically -- discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and brought to Pharaoh's palace to be raised. When Moses matured, his heart turned to aid the Jewish people; he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Jew, and he fled to Midian where he married and had two sons. God spoke to Moses at the Burning Bush, instructing him to return to Egypt and persuade Pharaoh to "let My people go." Moses led the Jews through the ten plagues, the Exodus, and the splitting of the Red Sea. Seven weeks later, the Jews arrived at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, the only time in human history that an entire nation experienced Divine revelation. Over the next 40 years, Moses led the Jews through wanderings in the desert, and supervised construction of the Tabernacle. Moses died before being allowed to enter the promised Land of Israel. He is regarded as the greatest prophet of all time.

Lack of gratitude is at the root of discontent. In order to be consistently serene, we must master the attribute of being grateful to the Creator for all His gifts. As the Torah (Deuteronomy 26:11) states, "Rejoice with all the good the Almighty has given you." This does not negate our wanting more. But it does mean that we have a constant feeling of gratitude since as long as we are alive, we always have a list of things for which to be grateful.

[Just before Moses' death] God said to him, "This is the Land that I promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 34:4).

The Midrash says that Moses pleaded to live long enough to be able to enter the Promised Land. He surrendered his soul only after God instructed him to enter Heaven and inform the Patriarchs that the Israelites had come to their Land and that God had indeed fulfilled His promise to give the Land of Israel to their descendants. To fulfill God's will was dearer to Moses than his craving to enter the Land.

It is only natural to cling to life, and the thought of leaving this world is depressing. However, if a person develops the attitude that he lives only in order to fulfill God's will, then life and death are no longer polar opposites, because he lives to do the will of God, and when that will requires that he leave this world, he will be equally obedient.

The seventh day of Adar is the anniversary of Moses' death. He wanted to enter the Promised Land so that he could fulfill the commandments and thereby have a new opportunity to fulfill the Divine wish. He surrendered his soul willingly when he was told that there was a special commandment for him to perform, one that could only be achieved after leaving this earth.

We refer to Moses as Rabbeinu, our teacher. He not only taught us didactically, but by means of everything he did in his life - and by his death, as well.

Today I shall...

try to dedicate my life to fulfilling the will of God, so that even when that will contradicts my personal desires, I can accept it with serenity.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...